60050015 - Regional Transit Authorities Contract Assistance

Account

Description

FY2009GAA

FY2009 Total Spending

6005-0015

Regional Transit Authorities Contract Assistance For certain assistance to the regional transit authorities, including operating grants and reimbursements to increase the accessibility of transit provided to the elderly and disabled under the mobility assistance program, the regional transit authority program and the inter-city bus capital assistance program; provided, that the commonwealth, acting by and through the executive office for administration and finance, for the period beginning July 1, 2008 and ending June 30, 2009, may enter into contracts with the authorities; provided further, that notwithstanding section 152A of chapter 161 of the General Laws, and section 23 of chapter 161B of the General Laws, the amount shall be at least 50 per cent but not more than 75 per cent of the net cost of service of each authority incurred in fiscal year 2009, shall be paid by the commonwealth, and shall not be assessed upon the cities and towns constituting the authorities; provided further, that the share assessed upon the cities and towns shall be at least 25 per cent of the net cost of service; provided further, that in the event that 25 per cent of the net cost of service of each authority exceeds 102.5 per cent of the previous year's local assessment, excluding payments made by cities and towns for the costs of new service for which the cities and towns have not previously been assessed as allowed by chapter 580 of the acts of 1980, the regional transit authority shall reduce its operating expenses or increase its revenues to meet the difference; provided further, that operating expenditures of each of the regional transit authorities for fiscal year 2009 shall not exceed 102.5 per cent of its operating expenditures for fiscal year 2008; provided further, that for the purposes of this item, operating expenditures shall not include federal, private or additional municipal non-state revenue sources or any expenses arising from the provision of services required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, or new services implemented after July 1, 1999, in an amount not to exceed a total of $3,613,905 for the 16 regional transit authorities; provided further, that the new services shall have first received approval of the appropriate regional transit authority advisory board; provided further, that not less than 25 per cent of the net cost of service of the new services shall be assessed to the cities and towns of the appropriate transit authority, as detailed previously in this item; provided further, that each regional transit authority which provides the new services shall file a report with the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation, detailing the total costs and revenues associated with the new service; provided further, that the cost of the new services shall not annualize to more than $3,613,905; provided further, that not later than January 1, 2009, each of the 16 regional transit authorities shall submit to the house and senate committees on ways and means a report detailing all revenues collected as a result of services provided under item 4401-1000; provided further, that the executive office of transportation shall work cooperatively with the authorities and other public and private funding sources to maximize new revenue sources to expand transit services; provided further, that the authorities and the executive office of transportation shall develop processes and procedures for contracts for services with other state agencies; provided further, that the executive office of transportation and the authorities shall develop a 5-year transit plan for operational and capital objectives that the parties may measure against and plan toward and shall file the plan with the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than April 1, 2009; provided further, that the executive office of transportation and the authorities shall work cooperatively to implement multi-year contracting for regional transit authority capital projects, particularly for construction projects and other multi-year commitments of the authorities; provided further, that the regional transit authorities shall implement structural, managerial and administrative reforms in order to achieve cost savings in services provided by the authorities; provided further, that the reforms shall include, but not be limited to, improved financing procedures for capital needs, approved plans for short and long-term service, a coordinated program of mass transportation for the regional transit authorities that provides standards of service for the authorities for types of service, passenger miles, hours of service, cost of service by route and mile and passenger, non-transportation revenue and system revenue generating options including, but not limited to, fare revenue and advertising revenue, assessments on member cities and towns, net operating investment per passenger-mile ratio and service quality standards; provided further, that the program shall involve an approach to service coordinated with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and other transit providers in order to achieve maximum efficiency of regional transit authority service routes; provided further, that all regional transit authorities shall achieve the fare and/or revenue recovery ratio of 40 per cent within 18 months after the effective date of this act; and provided further, that the Massachusetts Association of Regional Transit Authorities shall, on or before November 15, 2008, report to the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the operations of the authorities in the first half of fiscal year 2009 and focus the report on the reforms and improvements